If there’s one thing that Wellington-area
families cherish more than our wonderful
lifestyle, it’s our animals. Many of these
pets live like kings with good food, lots of
love, plenty of room and medical attention
when they need it. But what about those
not so lucky? Life can be grim for animals
who find themselves lost, abandoned or
stuck in a shelter. Luckily, there are a
number of nonprofits that have stepped
in to save them.

Amber’s Animal Outreach fosters
dogs in need until they can be
placed in their forever homes.

Amber’s Animal Outreach
Amber Nelson was just seven years
old when she started helping established
rescue operations in Broward County.
Now 18 and living in Loxahatchee with
her parents Kelly and Troy, Amber has
already logged three years as a foster
parent for a number of dogs through
her own organization, Amber’s Animal
Outreach.
Kelly explained that their nonprofit
is not facility-based, but rather a foster
operation.
“Amber takes in dogs that are about
to be euthanized unnecessarily, gets
them back to health and fosters
them until they are adopted,”
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september 2019 | wellington the magazine

she said. “Many of the dogs are lovestarved when she gets them. We also
get calls from people going into nursing homes, who love their pets but can’t
take them with them. If we can help, we
do. Even though we are small, Amber
saves hundreds of dogs every year.”
Like most rescues, the challenges for
Amber’s Animal Outreach are twofold
— getting funding and finding the right
home for the right dog.
The hard-working teenager depends on donations acquired primarily
through fundraisers and her Facebook
page.
In an effort to find poten-

tial adopters, Amber and her supporters spend just about every other weekend at PetSmart, hoping to find homes
for the dogs. She also is a presence at
Roger Dean Stadium during baseball
games.
“All this started because Amber
couldn’t stand the thought of dogs being
put down,” Kelly said. “As her mom, just
seeing her following her dream makes
me happy. Her love and compassion are
amazing. She was home-schooled and
just graduated this year. We’ll see where
her path takes her now.”
To support Amber Nelson in her mission,
visit www.aaodog.org.